Q Told My Story (Update)

It’s not too often that I hear about a show, plan to see it, the opportunity passes and then the opportunity reappears. Last summer, They Call Me Q was on my list but I just couldn’t make it with all the shows on my summer tour. When I saw that Q (Qurrat Ann Kadwani) was doing an Off-Broadway run, I knew I was going to make it happen. And I did and Theatre Beyond Broadway became a sponsor. All very fast and very exciting.

Why this show? Well, there isn’t a one woman show written by and starring an Indian actress from the Bronx who talks like a New Yorker. This is something I can relate to as I am an Indian actress from Manhattan who talks like a New Yorker. There aren’t that many of us from our generation (born mid-70s – early 80s) who talk about being the only little Indian girl in our neighborhood.

Q flawlessly transitions through 13 characters (her homegirls, her friends in India, her parents, her caucasian teachers and more) to tell the story of her upbringing in this urban jungle while trying to maintain her Indian heritage. As she transforms, one sees that the true experiences of her past either enhanced or affected her. Q tells her story on a simple set using a few costume pieces to differentiate the characters. The performance is subtly highlighted by sound and lighting which enhances her storytelling. Under the co-direction of her brother, Obaid Kadwani and Claudia Gaspar, Q is pushed to integrate all aspects of her life in this one woman show.

So what I’ll say is the same thing I said when I started my interview with Q on Salon Radio:

1. If you are in New York City, go see this show.

2. If you are a New Yorker, go see this show.

3. If you are a New Yorker of Indian descent (Southeast Asian, Trinidadian, Guyanese, St. Vincent, etc.), go see this show.

And guess what? Q has three shows left.

TBB subscribers! Get 50% off tickets by using Discount Code: MQSpecial

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Published by malinism

Malini is a native New Yorker who has been involved in the arts for her entire life. She's served the theatre in many aspects of which she's very proud – actress, director, producer, stage manager, costume designer, prop designer, theatre reviewer, publicist and most recently writer/monologist. She received her BA in Theatre Arts and English Literature from Baruch College and her MFA in Directing from the Actors Studio Drama School. In 2003, Malini and her husband, Ian, created Black Henna Productions with a handful of innovative artists. Every member of the company collaborates on every piece, either writing, acting, directing, designing, or filling any other role that fit their own personal skills with a commitment to bring new, exciting, and challenging theatre to the world. She is an associate member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women. Malini received the Woman of Distinction Award for her contribution to Media, Arts and Culture from the City of New York in 2008. She is also a Person of Godspell which ran at Circle in the Square on Broadway from 2011-2012.
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